Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Sciences

There is a demand for health and social science professionals with research skills at doctoral level, and a demand for a more flexible approach to research training than the traditional PhD. Is it your goal to be a "researching professional", rather than a "professional researcher"? If so, this programme could be for you.

The programme is designed to produce professionals who are competent and confident to use their research skills, whether their profession be in clinical practice, management, or academia. The programme has a structured, flexible taught element. The student body enters in cohorts, in January. Within this mode of delivery, the individual’s studies will remain embedded in their practice. In this way the doctoral level development of the individual is pertinent both to their individual practice, and to the wider professional arena in which they work.

The core of the programme (540 credit units) comprises a thesis (180) and a doctoral research module (60). Credit can be awarded for a recent, relevant Masters degree (120), and/or for independent prior research or professional activities for which evidence of doctoral level attainment can be advanced, within the themes of the programme. These themes cover leadership, collaboration, inter-professional working as well as change management, decision making, communication, and work based learning. Modules in these areas can be undertaken, tailored to independent working in your profession, for the remaining credit.

The purpose of the Professional Doctorate is therefore to enable the further development of already-experienced professionals, drawing on the close links and collegiate partnerships from a variety of health and social science settings; and seeks to foster a learning environment designed to facilitate and support both personal and professional development.